The Stuttgart Parks and Recreation Commission met again Friday in the wake of former director Mike Drewett's death. In a recent meeting they named Pool Manager/Athletic Director Austin Hayes interim director.

Currently the shops and pavilions are being put up when weather permits at both John Cain Park and Reinsch Complex.

“I have talked with (ETC Engineers of Little Rock) on several occasions and and I feel like we have a better handle on what projects are being looked at and the schedule for those projects,” Hayes said in a report to the commission.

The first project is the foul nets at Reinsch Complex. This project seems to be the most time sensitive with baseball/softball season gearing up. Hayes will be getting a new metal roof on the concession stand and office within the next couple of weeks and estimates coming in for replacing dugout roofs on fields No. 1 and No. 4.

Hayes is still getting options on the electrical situation at the Reinsch Complex.

“We have looked at several different ways to get power to our new building on the west side of the complex,” he explained. “The well line is not an option as it is a dedicated line. The option that I think is going to be the best case for us is to have Entergy run a new service line along our south border and use that line for the new construction.”

The second is the project at J. B. Bryant Park, which includes demolishing the existing bathrooms and rebuilding them, resurfacing the old tennis courts and basketball courts, and adding a smaller basketball court for younger children.

The third project is for John Cain Park that will include remodeling the old pool house to make it a pavilion, filling in the old pool and making a tennis court and adding bathrooms to new the tennis courts if possible.

“I am also exploring a couple different grants that would allow us to put a one-fourth mile walking track in John Cain Park,” he said.

In other updates Hayes said baseball and softball sign ups will take place at Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas-Stuttgart over the next two weeks.

“I will have sponsor letters out and have heard back from a few companies in town. I am looking at ways to add some revenue to the ball program and we will be hosting a Rookie League team tournament on April 26 and 27. We hope to have 16 teams participate from all over the area.”

Hayes has met with the state commissioner about the city hosting state tournaments and once the weather allows the department to get improvements done Stuttgart will be able to host a first=class tournament.

Page 2 of 2 - “We will be sending out tournament packages to potential participating towns and will be selling limited advertising spots for local businesses,” he said.